Discovering the Truth Through Sorrow
by TheLaddy
Summary: The aftermath of the ending battle against Voldemort. Now Harry must try to pull Ginny out of her despair over the death of a loved one without managing to dig a bigger hole.
1. Default Chapter

**Disclaimer: **All of the characters belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Only the plot belongs to me and quite honestly, I'm not selfish. Cheers.

Harry was dazed. Lights were blinking in front of his eyes and a splitting, throbbing headache was all that was left of the earlier white hot pain that had been his scar. A soft breeze carried the smell of wet earth, rotten leaves, and wild flowers from the Forbidden Forest a few yards away. The cold breeze stung the gash in Harry's shoulder and the various scrapes on his face.

Blinking away the lights Harry lifted his head from where it had been face down in the grass. All he could remember was his spell being connected with Voldemort's, just like it had in his fourth year. Just when Harry thought he couldn't take the blistering heat of his wand any longer he mustered what was the last bit of his strength and shouted "_Protego!_" At the top of his voice just as Voldemort hissed the killing curse. What looked like green flames shot from Voldemort's wand straight for Harry but at that same instant that Harry had shouted his spell he waved his wand around in front of him as though backhanding a fly. A sweep of golden sparks was left in its wake and the killing curse bounced right off and straight back at its conjurer. But when it had bounced off Harry's shield the recoil was so strong that it shoved Harry back so hard that he flew threw the air and his back connected very hard with the side of Hogwarts, momentarily knocking him unconscious before he hit the ground.

Harry groaned softly and started to push himself up. Bodies were strewn everywhere, some stunned or unconscious, other…Harry didn't want to think. Some Death Eaters and Order members along with non-Order Aurors were standing but now they had froze mid-duel, starring around at where Harry and Voldemort had been dueling fiercely. There was a glowing skull with a snake curling out of its mouth where Voldemort had been standing. As Harry and the others watched the skulls mouth and the snake slithered up higher into the air before slowly disappearing. Then the skull opened its mouth in a silent scream before it too, seemed to disappear.

Scattered cheers pierced the night air. Harry distinctfully heard Bellatrix Lestrange scream.

A few cracks snapped the air, Death Eaters fleeing before they could be captured. Only a few stayed behind and numbly dropped their wands and were immediately stunned.

Remus Lupin was running towards him, tears streaking down his lined face. "It's over Harry!" Although he looked severely battered and exhausted he lifted Harry to his feet with ease and embraced him tightly.

Trying hard to ignore the splitting pain in his sides he didn't immediately join in on the celebration. More people joined Remus in hugging a pained Harry then each other. More then once someone planted kisses on his cheeks.

When Harry was finally able to breath he shouted, "Lupin!" and wasn't even aware of the high pitched tone of his voice. "Lupin! Where's Ron and Hermione?"

But Lupin didn't hear him.

Clutching the steadily bleeding wound in his arm Harry staggered over to the body strewn battlefield. Some people were obviously dead, others merely stunned. Harry stumbled on, hardly aware of the pain anymore though he was beginning to feel dizzy and nauseous. More then once he looked into the face of an Auror or Ministry member that he knew and came to terms with their death.

Finally Harry found Hermione's thankfully stunned body. Weakly, he waved his wand and whispered, _"Ennervate…_"

Her eyes blinked as her muscles relaxed. With a low moan she started to push herself into a sitting position. Realizing that there was an unusual calm over the grounds her eye widened and slowly scanned the area before falling onto Harry teetering uneasily on his feet in front of her. "Oh! Oh Lord, Harry! You're alive! Thank Heavens!" Leaping to her feet she hugged him, beginning to sob. Harry endured the pain.

"Hermione, have you seen Ron?" He murmured painfully into her ear.

Hermione lifted her head to look at him; her eyes were widened in horror. "I was stunned before we were – Oh Harry, please! Please tell me he's –"

"Hermione! Harry!" Ron's croaked voice rang out to them.

To Harry's immense relief Ron was running towards them, though with a slight limp and one arm was hanging limply at his side.

Hermione let out a delighted scream and ran towards him. To Harry's dazed surprise Hermione flung her arms around Ron's neck and kissed him so fiercely that she nearly tackled him over. It certainly took Ron by total surprise but after a few seconds he began to return it.

Harry turned away from them, knowing at any moment he was either going to pass out or be sick. Now that the initial joy of the war finally being over was done, people were going through the bodies, reviving the ones that could be revived.

Occasionally a soft cry, sometimes happy, sometimes sad, would drift up on the breeze.

Harry mind was spinning, with the loss of blood and being flown against a wall also aiding it, he couldn't believe what just happened. It was all over… They – he – had won…

Second later, Harry blacked out.

* * *

Harry woke slowly, the pounding in his head was currently coming from the gash that was being cleaned and patched by a female healer in her forties. The purple goo she used stung something terrible and Harry heard her say, "at least _this_ _one_ won't leave a scar." Then she left and before Harry could fall asleep again a hand settled comfortingly one his good shoulder and he looked up to see Hermione looking down at him. 

"Hey 'Mione…" Harry murmured, smiling weakly.

Hermione managed a strained, watery eyes smile but then tears began splashing down her cheeks.

His throbbing headache had lessened, though only slightly. His body was still sore and he felt the same as before the battle: that Voldemort could swoop down at any moment. But Harry was honestly feeling the tiniest bit conceited because he had now dodged being killed five times now. Sitting up gingerly he looked up at Hermione with a nervous feeling twisting his gut, he knew tears were never a good sign.

"Hermione, what's wrong?" Fear was now clutching tightly at his chest again.

"Harry… Charlie's dead." She sucked in a quivering breath and began to sob. Through her fingers Harry heard, "And Mr. Weasley's gone too."

Harry's stomach flipped over so badly that he immediately felt sick to his stomach. His breathing became labored and he felt like a fish out of water.

Hermione grabbed Harry's wrist to pull him to his feet before bringing him towards her to envelop him in her arms. Any other time he would've resisted but now he couldn't find the strength. Suddenly, all at once, he broke down. For the first time ever in his life everything that had been building up since his first year at Hogwarts finally broke free of their dam. The deaths of the two Weasley's were leading the tears and sorrow.

Thirty minutes later Harry was alone again. Hermione had left him after a soft kiss on the forehead in search of Ron. Harry meanwhile wasn't sure who else had survived or who was maimed or uninjured.

Still with a heavy heart he got up and painfully tugged on his hooded sweatshirt and stepped out of his room. An entire floor at Saint Mungo's was entirely devoted to those that had been injured in the last battle.

He started to walk, though slowly because his ankle still twinged a bit. He brought up the sleeve of his sweatshirt to wipe away a few stray tears. Some doors were open, others ajar, and others closed.

After a dozen doors of no one that looked immediately familiar he heard someone call his name from inside an open and dimly lit room. Backtracking his steps he looked in and sitting on the bed was a familiar figure with bright red hair sitting back against a small mound of pillows. Wrapped around her eyes were bandages.

A wave of momentary relief spread through Harry as he entered and closed the door. "Ginny…"

Her head turned so that one ear was pointing in his general direction. A small smile added to Harry's relief though her voice was still choked from tears. "How are you, Harry?"

"I'm fine," he muttered in a lying voice and pulled a nearby chair up to her bedside.

"How about you?"

"Can't complain." They fell silent for a moment or two when Ginny did a rather unexpected thing. One hand hesitantly rose and started to reach for Harry. His hand rose to take it, thinking that's what she wanted but when he noticed her hand was reaching for his face he let his hand fall into his lap. Her fingers finally touched his cheek before sliding around to timidly cup his face. Soon the other hand rose and while one hand held his head the other gently used the soft, cool pads of her fingers to explore every feature on his face with soft touches. Harry felt his heart race by tenfold when her fingers brushed across his lips.

"What're you doing?" Harry murmured softly, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Making sure it's really you."

"Of course it's me, Ginny," Harry said almost matter-of-factly and caught her hand. He suddenly had an insane urge to kiss her palms but shook off the feeling. "And it's really over…"


	2. Paying Respects

**Disclaimer: **All of the characters belong to the brilliant mind of J.K. Rowling. Only the plot belongs to me and quite honestly, I'm not selfish. Cheers.

* * *

That's what was left of Harry's immediate memory of that day. It continued to flash through his mind. 

There was never a gloomier day for a funeral. It was raining, windy, and freezing cold. Harry Potter, now nineteen and active in his Auror training and Quidditch, stood near a family of redheads at the top of a hill where there was an open grave covered by a white casket with flowers. A canvas had been erected to block the rain and many chairs had been set up in lines on top of Astroturf to keep from sinking. Among the many redheads was an older woman with soft streaks of gray running through her red hair. A man with long red hair pulled back in a ponytail had one arm around her shoulders and his other was holding a beautiful young woman with long silvery blonde hair who was sobbing softly against his shoulder. Harry's best friend, Ron Weasley, was at his side.

Harry's turn at the podium was next and as he walked along the people sitting in chairs beneath the canopy to keep the rain out he saw many familiar faces. Remus Lupin, whose brown hair was nearly completely silver didn't look up from his lap. A woman besides him covered his wringing hands with her own and looked up to Harry with red eyes that were a complete contrast to her short purple hair. Further on he saw members of the Order, though Kingsley and Dedalus Diggle who had been there to pick him up in his fifth year and on, had been dead for a year now. At the podium he looked into the front audience, Dumbledore was still with them though his old age was beginning to catch up on him very quickly. Harry felt a bit of courage from Dumbledore's wink and saw that Professor McGonagall, also with much more gray, kept dabbing at her eyes.

His fingers curled over the edge to steady himself, hoping his voice wasn't going to crack. "Good afternoon, though the weather doesn't like to think so." He said with a casual shrug, some people managed weak chuckles. "My name is Harry Potter, most of you know me as the Boy-Who-Lived, but this man never knew me by that name. Arthur Weasley was a wonderful friend, hard and devoted worker, but most of all he was a top notch Dad to many people. Hermione and I," he motioned for the audience to look to the side where the Weasley family stood in a tight group. Ron and Hermione, close to engaged, were holding onto one another and Hermione managed a weak smile before dissolving into more tears. "We were considered as family, and I for one was – _am­ – _proud to say that I am apart of the Weasley family. But although we've lost a fantastic person we'll pull through, just as Mr. Weasley always did." He looked over at the white casket with an enormous bouquet of flowers was a foot away. Taking a step closer Harry put his hand against it, fighting to keep his tears back even while his voice quivered as he said, "Keep an eye out for me, Dad."

He left the podium, dimly aware of the scattered applause and there were more sniffs in the audience now. Moving back to his spot besides Ron on the fringes of the Weasley family he caught sight of Mrs. Weasley reaching out for him. As stealthily as he could so as not to disturb Remus Lupin as he spoke, he crept closer to Mrs. Weasley and looked into his adopted mother's eyes full of tears. "Arthur would've been so proud." Mrs. Weasley whispered through a sad smile as she patted his cheek. After planting a kiss on his cheek she wrapped him into a motherly hug and Harry murmured against her shoulder, "I know he would, Mum…" Feeling on the verge of tears Harry James Potter let the years of pain and loses finally overcome him and allowed them to fall.

At the end many people were invited back to the Weasley's for a remembrance dinner. And while people left the site for where Arthur Weasley was being laid to rest many people came to shake hands with Bill and his wife Fleur, Charlie, Fred and Angelina, George, Ron and Hermione, and many enveloped Mrs. Weasley in tight hugs to whisper their condolences. All came up to Harry to vigorously shake his hand with both of theirs and tell him, "My you're growing up to be a handsome young man!" "Good luck with the Quidditch cup next year!" "Arthur was lucky to have so many fabulous children!" Harry usually just smiled and thanked them before they left. One old lady actually kissed his cheek with a watery smile before rushing off, blowing her nose in her kerchief.

Soon everyone was gone except Harry, Ron, and Hermione. The Golden Trio, reunited again. Ron and Hermione had been diligently working alongside Harry in the ministry and training to become Aurors. Hermione wiped her eyes and turned to leave but then saw Harry's wandering eye. "What is it Harry?"

"I haven't seen Ginny," Harry said without looking at Hermione. He kept looking around the bottom of the hill. She had been with everyone else during the ceremony but as soon as it was over she was gone.

"I think she's up there," responded Hermione as she handed Ron her kerchief so he could blow his nose.

Harry started back up the hill but Ron reached out and grabbed her hand. "No," he said in a choked voice and shook his head. "Just give her some time, she's taken it pretty hard."

Glancing back up the hill Harry saw Ginny's silhouette against the stormy clouds and even though it had stopped raining the wind was still brisk and cold. But with two cracks behind him he knew that Ron and Hermione had disapparated. Glancing back up the hill he closed his eyes, and whispered, "So long Dad…" once more before concentrating. Left on the pavement were two teardrops.


End file.
